Benoni, February 18South Africa were thrown an unexpected World Cup lifeline when rain robbed the West
Indies of a likely victory over Bangladesh in group B on Tuesday. The West Indies were just starting to tighten the screws on Bangladesh when the heavens opened up and the match was abandoned without a result.
Ricardo Powell of West Indies watches as he hits a six against Bangladesh in
Benoni
on Tuesday. — Reuters photo

Tendulkar assures fightbackHarare, February 18Following widespread protests
across the country over the Indian team’s dismal run at the 2003 World
Cup, master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar today assured the fans at home of a
spirited fightback by the team.

India's Sachin Tendulkar tests his bat during a practice session in
Harare
on Tuesday. India will play Zimbabwe in the city on Wednesday.
— Reuters

We have a good chance against IndiaAs I came in for lunch after training at the Harare Sports Club, I was amazed at the number of policemen on duty around the stadium. We all have personal security as well, so the place is pretty full of men in
uniform.

Indians should not panic at this stageIan BothamTHE England-Zimbabwe game and all that went on around it should be dead and buried by the English side as soon as possible if they want to make any impact in the tournament. Those in the ICC and the ECB who were involved in the decision-making will have to rest with their conscience and morals, while the players will have to dig deep and look to win as many games as possible.

Warne’s ‘B’ sample also tests positiveSydney, February 18Australian leg spinner Shane Warne’s cricketing career may well be over after his second urine sample also tested positive for the banned diuretics, a leading newspaper reported today.

Australian bowler Glenn McGrath holds a one-week-old lion cub up to his face during a
safari tour
outside Potchefstroom on Tuesday.
— Reuters

Lanka relish turnaroundPaarl, February 18Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya might be reflecting on what a difference two months makes as he plots his team’s final push towards the World Cup super sixes. In December, Sri Lanka departed South Africa after a disastrous tour. They were heavily beaten in two Test matches and beaten 1-4 in a one-day series and were even trounced by South Africa A, the host country’s second string, in a one-day game.

DIARY OF THE WEEK
South Africa in midst of a nightmareHarare Mark Boucher, one believes, is getting up dead in the middle of night in cold sweat. He dropped Stephen Fleming in that gladiatorial contest against New Zealand at Wanderers the other day and it cost dear. South Africa are facing elimination and the role of a wicketkeeper is once again under scrutiny.

Go and get drunk, SA players toldJohannesburg, February 18South Africa’s struggling World Cup squad should go on a drinking binge in a bid to get their campaign back on track, according to one of the country’s leading newspapers.

England aim to crush NamibiaPort Elizabeth, February 18England will aim to carry on from where they left off against the Netherlands when they take on group A minnows Namibia at St George’s Park here tomorrow.
England, who forfeited four points after boycotting their opener against Zimbabwe in Harare on security grounds, cannot afford any slip-ups.

Malhotra seeks guidelines for cricketersNew Delhi, February 18
All-India Council of Sports (AICS) President Vijay Kumar Malhotra has advised the Union Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs to set guidelines for the Indian cricket team in line with the guidelines set for other national teams, which include attendance in the national camps and a strict code of conduct.

9 Haryana boxers in finalsHisar, February 18Nine Haryana boxers today entered the finals in various categories in the 49th All-India Inter-University Boxing Championship being held at CRM Jat College here. Five boxers are from Kurukshetra University while four are representing MD University, Rohtak.

JCT rally to down MahindrasMumbai, February 18JCT Phagwara scored once in each half to rally to an effortless 2-1 win over Mahindra United, Mumbai, in the National Football League match at the Cooperage ground, here today.

UT
golfers shine in Patiala heritage golfChandigarh, February 18As part of the ongoing Cultural Patiala Heritage Week, a
Heritage Golf Tournament was held at the Black Elephant Golf Course,
Patiala, yesterday. One hundred and twelve golfers from Patiala,
Chandigarh, Delhi and Ambala took part in the tournament which was
sponsored by Seagrams and Chivas Regal.

Benoni, February 18
South Africa were thrown an unexpected World Cup lifeline when rain robbed the West Indies of a likely victory over Bangladesh in group B on Tuesday.

The West Indies were just starting to tighten the screws on Bangladesh when the heavens opened up and the match was abandoned without a result.

Both teams were awarded two points, but the West Indies were the real losers as Bangladesh have not won a limited-overs international for four years.

The result left the West Indies still needing to win their remaining three matches to make the super sixes, while opening the door for hosts South Africa, whose hopes had been left hanging by a thread when they lost two of their first three matches in the tournament.

The West Indies made 244 for nine after being put into bat before reducing Bangladesh to 32 for two in 8.1 overs.

With light rain falling before the start of play and the forecast of showers in the afternoon, the West Indies’ hopes of a quick kill were dashed when Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud won the toss and elected to field.

The West Indies made a slow start and were just 158 for five after 40 overs when Ricardo Powell smashed a half-century off just 30 balls, the fastest of the tournament, to lift them to a respectable total.

Powell clubbed four sixes and three fours to reach his 50 in just 33 minutes, sharing a 59-run partnership with Carl Hooper after medium-pacer Ehsanul Haque had captured the vital wickets of Brian Lara for 46 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 29.

Powell’s second six, off Mashud, not only cleared the boundary rope but sailed right over the temporary stands and out of Willowmoore Park.

He brought up his 50 with his fourth six but threw his wicket away next ball by holing out to Manjurul Islam in the deep.

Hooper made 45 off 58 balls, including a six off Mohammad Rafique that ended up in the West Indian dressing room, while Lara made a patient 46 off 76 balls after Bangladesh struck early to remove openers Chris Gayle (0) and Wavell Hinds (18) in the first 10 overs.

Lara and Chanderpaul shared a 68-run third-wicket stand before the latter was trapped lbw by Ehsanul.

Bangladesh made a shaky start to their reply, with openers Ehsanul and Al-Sahariar both surviving dropped catches in the slips.

Al-Sahariar was dropped by Gayle off the first ball he faced and Ehsanul was twice spilled by the normally reliable Hooper.

Their luck quickly ran out, however, as Gayle held a second, more difficult chance from Al-Sahariar off the bowling of Vasbert Drakes and Mervyn Dillon clean bowled Ehsanul two balls later.

Harare, February 18
Following widespread protests across the country over the Indian team’s dismal run at the 2003 World Cup, master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar today assured the fans at home of a spirited fightback by the team.

In a message for the well wishers back home, Tendulkar, speaking on behalf of the team, said: “We are also disappointed by our performance. I can understand the anguish, but let me assure you that we are determined to fight till the very end.”

Urging the people to continue supporting the team, Tendulkar said: “We will do everything possible to not let you down.”

India has had a poor run in the World Cup. They struggled to beat minnows Holland in their opener and were drubbed in their first major outing against defending champions Australia on Saturday.

The country now needs to win the next three matches against Zimbabwe, Namibia and England to get into the Super Six without having to play a do-or-die game against traditional rivals Pakistan on March 1.

India captain Sourav Ganguly emphasised that the time had come for individuals to stand up and deliver true to their strength and character.

Speaking to reporters on the eve of the match at the Harare Sports Club, Ganguly said: “We will have to bring up the tempo. We have to play well.

“This is the time for all the individuals to display their strength and character.’’

Pointing out that no team had won the World Cup without facing upsets, the southpaw, who has struggled with his form, said there were still four more games to go in the league stage.

“We have to win all these matches to qualify for the Super Six,” a confident-looking skipper said.

Asked whether the same XI would take the field, he said the final decision would be taken tomorrow morning.

“There has been some overnight rain and there is moisture, but I want to assure you that the team will perform.’’

On his batting down the order, Ganguly said: “You will come to know about it tomorrow.”
UNI

As I came in for lunch after training at the Harare Sports Club, I was amazed at the number of policemen on duty around the stadium. We all have personal security as well, so the place is pretty full of men in uniform. The Zimbabwe team have had personal security on a couple of tours to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but it feels pretty alien to have some look after you when you are a few minutes away from home.

The black armband and statement issued by Henry Olonga and I must have been written about in the Indian media. The only action that the Zimbabwe Cricket Union has taken so far is to report the gesture to the ICC, who in turn gave us a clean chit. The ICC committee felt that we had not breached the code of conduct or brought disrepute to the game, as alleged by the ZCU, so both Henry and I are available for the game against India. We have been instructed by the ZCU and requested by the ICC to refrain from wearing the black armband again, and both of us will take a call on that tomorrow morning. However, even if the black armband is missing from our sleeve on Wednesday morning, we still do stand by the statement we released on the morning of our first match.

Coming back to cricket, the team is very upbeat about our chances against the Indians. We have defeated the Indians here a couple of times, and going by the form of Saurav Ganguly’s team, we have a good chance tomorrow as well. The Indians have been struggling ever since that competitive series against the West Indies and the low-scoring tour to New Zealand. They have struggled right through their warm-up games in South Africa and were even bowled out by Holland. This is ample proof of the fact that the batsmen are low on self-belief, and we plan to put them under pressure from the start itself. The Indians have never enjoyed batting at the Harare Sports Club, and I’m sure that will be at the back of their minds as well.

The home team is really fired up, after all, we have been training for this World Cup for months now. It was a big comedown for the team when England finally opted out of their match here, which is why we took the weekend off. The guys assembled only yesterday, and we have had only light training day.

Aandy Bilgnaut is in the side because he has had great success against the Indian batsmen on this wicket. He is also an explosive batsman, and can add runs lower down the order. I personally have had many good knocks against India, and would hope to make a telling contribution tomorrow. India, in all probability, will be playing both Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh since the strip does afford a little assistance to spinners. I look forward to playing these two guys once again, since our encounters in the past have been very special for me.

The toss is very crucial at the Harare Sports Club, since the wicket affords movement in the first hour of play. I have no doubt that the captain who wins the toss will opt to field first so that the pace bowlers can make the most of the early juice.
(Gameplan)

I was watching a Bollywood movie yesterday where the hero was trapped from both sides of the bridge as people rushed to kill
him. The only option for him was to plunge into the river and hope that he will survive till someone
rescues him. Do we see a cue here for Sourav Ganguly? Perhaps.

After a series of failures with the bat and his team not doing well either, Ganguly sees himself in a similar position. His stubbornness to open the
innings has not paid dividends and has only added to his misery.

On one side critics are waiting to tear him into pieces while fans back home are burning his effigies. He failed to find an answer himself to his problems despite several efforts. Do where does he look for answers?

Remember, India are in a must-win situation or else, not only the players alone, the future of the game gets into some sort of concern. He knows as per the performance chart, a place in the playing eleven can be problematic. But cricket does not have a non-playing captain and he has to remain in the side. Sourav Ganguly is a world class player and there are no two ways about it. Then comes the team management’s decision to drop him down the order at No. 5. A bit harsh, eh? Look on the
brighter side though.

Circumstances cannot get worse than this and he needs to have confidence in himself to get out of the woods, keeping his fingers crossed. It’s just a matter of couple of strokes in the meat of the bat and lo! Sourav might rediscover himself.

However, Sourav is not the lone factor here. Sachin seems in a spot of bother just as Rahul ‘The Wall’ is finding difficult to close the seeping cracks. Yuvraj, Kaif and Sehwag have their own bit of problems while coach John Wright has a different thing to ponder. It is a collective ‘performance shutdown’ from the team. Harbhajan, Kumble, Srinath and Dinesh Mongia are the only one to have relatively kept their ‘power’ working on standby mode.

But Indians needs a electrifying display of batt(l)ing to spark a revival of hopes among the countless people watching them. I know they are rattled by the fans anger but need to understand that the gorgeous roses have thorns with it. If they are cursing now, just a match later they will lift you on their shoulders and sing praises.

The Indians just need to
brainstorm on their batting display and the Zimbabwean duo of Andy Flower and Heath Streak. Andy has a liking for India attack. Streak has always been more than a handful with his consistent line and taking him on in his ‘home’ might not be a pleasing thought.

I would like to conclude with a message to Indian cricket fans: You are the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. But just allow them some breathing space and for one more time, back them against Zimbabwe with all your might.

Bhavnagar, February 18
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in a district court here, praying for direction to the Indian cricket board and team captain to “adhere to certain guidelines” for performing well in the remaining matches in the World Cup in South Africa.

Admitting the petition today, the civil judge of the district court fixed February 24 as the next date and directed their representatives to appear before the court.

The petition was filed by three persons in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate against Indian captain Saurav Ganguly, BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya and secretary of the Union Ministry for Sports for the team’s “poor performance” in the two matches at the ongoing World Cup.
PTI

Bangalore, February 18
Bangalore police, prompted by the cricket fans fury in Allahabad and Kolkata, are keeping a strict vigil around the houses of vice-captain Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath. Two policemen each had been posted at the residences of the three cricketers since last evening, while a police patrol party moves around keeping an eye on the houses.

ALLAHABAD: The district administration has deployed two security guards at the residence of batting star Mohammad Kaif in
Kidman locality following its canalization by irate fans.
PTI

THE England-Zimbabwe game and all that went on around it should be dead and buried by the English side as soon as possible if they want to make any impact in the tournament. Those in the ICC and the ECB who were involved in the decision-making will have to rest with their conscience and morals, while the players will have to dig deep and look to win as many games as possible. The way the authorities on both sides handled the case was disastrous, and it’s sad that it is Nasser Hussain and his men who have to suffer the consequences of actions they had no control over. Hussain has gone on record saying that he might quit captaincy after this tournament, but that will have to be put in the back-burner right now. His own future will be a question he will have to answer later, but at present the team must look to regroup fast. Nasser’s captaincy after the World Cup has been under a cloud for some time now, and this episode only added to the doubts that already exist in his mind.

It is a good thing that England had two of their less important games immediately after the fracas. This will help them collect eight points, and go into their big games with some confidence. The group is still very open, with only Australia being the shining star that is way above the rest. The big games in this group will both now involve England. The Cape Town game versus Pakistan and the Durban game under lights against India will more or less decide which teams will accompany Australia into the Super Six.

Even though they have gained four points from England’s forfeiture, I don’t think Zimbabwe have it in them to make it to the next stage. They too have been badly affected by the political upheavals surrounding the sport, as well as the fact that many players are focused on the situation in the country rather than the game. This is understandable, but makes the team distracted. The only way Zimbabwe can go further is if Australia too back out of their game in Bulawayo. That is unlikely at this stage, but things can change rapidly. While Australia have been playing outstanding cricket, I did not expect India to capitulate so meekly last Saturday. The newspapers in South Africa are full of reports from India that the public are resolving to shun products endorsed by the cricketers. Serious stuff like that can only be answered by the cricketers putting in an improved performance in the rest of their games.

The Indians should not panic at this stage, and should avoid reshuffling the batting order too much. Instead, they should stick to combinations that have worked for them over many seasons. Ganguly must stay at the top of the order if only to the left-right combination. Either Sachin Tendulkar or Virender Sehwag can open with the other player coming at three. There is not much difference between opening and coming one down, and it’s their inability to score runs rather than where they bat that is the major issue for the big guns in the Indian batting line-up. The team should now just target at batting 50 overs.

Once they prove that they can do that, confidence and self-belief will return. The Indians must prove to themselves as well as their millions of fans that last Saturday was a hiccup. That must be their first priority when they play Zimbabwe tomorrow.
Gameplan

Sydney, February 18
Australian leg spinner Shane Warne’s cricketing career may well be over after his second urine sample also tested positive for the banned diuretics, a leading newspaper reported today.

The 33-year-old Warne faces a maximum two-year ban from international cricket if proved guilty of the doping offence under the Australian Sports Drug Agency (ASDA) rules.

The ASDA, which carried out the tests, is believed to have informed Warne about the result of the second test yesterday, Herald Sun reported.

Under the ASDA protocol, Warne has seven days to ask for an internal inquiry or appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, the paper said.

The Australian Cricket Board was awaiting official confirmation of the report.

Warne was tested on January 22, a day before he announced he would quit one-day cricket after the World Cup. The news of his testing
positive for diuretics came into light just hours before Australia were to play their first World Cup match against Pakistan on February 11 in Johannesburg.

The cricketer was forced to return home in a huff to await the result of the ‘B’ sample test and subsequent hearing before the drugs tribunal.

Diuretics are masking agents and could be used to conceal the presence of performance-enhancing drugs.

Warne, Australia’s leading wicket-taker in both Tests and one-day cricket, admitted taking a “fluid tablet” which he did not know contained prohibited substances but said he did not take any performance enhancing drugs.

The ACB has charged Warne with its most serious doping offence — breach of clause 4.1b of the anti-doping policy — use of a prohibited method.

The charge is severe because it considers that the diuretic was used to alter the integrity and validity of Warne’s drug sample.

Under the ACB policy, the mere presence of the diuretic is enough to constitute an offence and Warne’s motive for taking the drug is irrelevant.

Warne’s lawyers are expected to argue that the type of diuretic used by Warne was not strong enough to mask the presence of steroids.

They might also cite Warne’s battle with flab as an excuse for taking the pill.

The drugs hearing, which will determine his guilt and the length of the ban, is expected to start next week.

Along with his career and reputation, Warne’s ACB contract, believed to be worth $ 400,000 a year, hangs in balance and if proved guilty, he will have to forfeit $ 60,000 to $ 70,000 in World Cup match payments.
PTI

Paarl, February 18
Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya might be reflecting on what a difference two months makes as he plots his team’s final push towards the World Cup super sixes. In December, Sri Lanka departed South Africa after a disastrous tour. They were heavily beaten in two Test matches and beaten 1-4 in a one-day series and were even trounced by South Africa A, the host country’s second string, in a one-day game.

But it has been a different Sri Lanka, and especially a rejuvenated Jayasuriya, who have been pace-setters in the World Cup.

Sri Lanka have won both their matches — beating New Zealand and Bangladesh — and Jayasuriya, whose poor personal performances were a factor in their defeats on the earlier tour, has been in top form, hitting 120 against New Zealand and 55 not out against Bangladesh.

For good measure, he has climbed back to the top of the world one-day batting rankings.

The Lankans will seek to maintain the momentum when they play outsiders Canada at Boland Park here tomorrow, knowing they have an opportunity to top group B.

Provided the major teams keep winning against the minnows in the group, Sri Lanka will have two opportunities to clinch a place in the super six at the expense of South Africa — either by beating the West Indies in Cape Town on February 28 or when they play South Africa in Durban on March 3. If Sri Lanka win the Cape Town match, South Africa won’t be able to qualify even by winning in Durban.
AFP

Harare
Mark Boucher, one believes, is getting up dead in the middle of night in cold sweat. He dropped Stephen Fleming in that gladiatorial contest against New Zealand at Wanderers the other day and it cost dear. South Africa are facing elimination and the role of a wicketkeeper is once again under scrutiny. Indians especially are having a second thought about asking vice-captain Rahul Dravid to double up as keeper. After all, Dravid at best is a makeshift keeper and a costly lapse against a quality player is only going to add to India’s woes. Ian Healy, the record-breaking Australian keeper has no doubt Dravid is making a mistake. “A quality keeper is a must behind the stumps in a tournament where one mistake could show you the door.”

South Africa sure are having a nightmare of a time. It is amazing how defeats suddenly bring a complete sea-change in view points. Before the start, it seemed Polly’s boys were ready to keep their appointment with the title. Now they could end up having the worst of all World Cup tournaments. People are finding fault with their composition and ridiculing their own assessment of their own pitches. When batsmen are lording over bowlers all around, Pollock is saddled with six frontline bowlers in his team. It has weakened batting and Jonty Rhodes’ departure from the competition leaves them short of quality experience. With now catches being dropped-that too of important guys like Brian Lara and Fleming — even the hype surrounding their ability in the field has taken a beating.

Thus there is excitement all around with some good cricket and controversies overshadowing it on practically daily basis. The only sour note is being struck by the minnows in the
competition. Holland and Namibia in group A and Bangladesh, Kenya and Canada in group B have put up some extremely lacklustre shows and frankly their games have been big yawns. On hindsight not when Indians are up against them as the former world champions have appeared nothing better than midgetweights themselves.

Fanie de Villiers, meanwhile, is keen to know if Indian cricket board really is serious to employ him as a bowling coach of the Indian team. “They were in touch with me for a long time but I wasn’t available for full time. They wanted me at 250,000 US dollars for full-time basis but I have my commitments and I could only promise part-time support.” De Villiers revealed it was coach John Wright who wanted him to throw his hat in the ring on the bowlers’ coach issue. “Just ask your board to call me for a week and listen to what I have to say about producing fast bowlers,” says De Villiers. “I am sure they wouldn’t be disappointed.” He hopes somebody is listening.

Harare is abuzz with the Indians in town but the security at times is stifling. It also has primitive communication facilities with internet connections non-existent and phone calls to India a matter of evoking god’s help. A couple of young guys in the team find this all particularly galling. Compulsive night — birds are particularly harried. It seems they can’t walk out without an escort and giving them a slip is futile. For you can’t even slip out of your room-or slip someone in — as policemen are guarding the lifts all the time. Talk of disadvantages of being a celebrity.

Johannesburg, February 18
South Africa’s struggling World Cup squad should go on a drinking binge in a bid to get their campaign back on track, according to one of the country’s leading newspapers.

The Johannesburg-based Star suggested on Tuesday that Shaun Pollock’s side should ‘’do what the rest of the country did on Sunday night’’ and ‘’get hammered on beer and wine and leave the regrets in the bottom of the bottle’’.

South Africa, the pre-tournament second favourites behind Australia, lost two of their first three games and need other results to go their way if they are to sneak through to the second round from group B.

Port Elizabeth, February 18
England will aim to carry on from where they left off against the Netherlands when they take on group A minnows Namibia at St George’s Park here tomorrow.

England, who forfeited four points after boycotting their opener against Zimbabwe in Harare on security grounds, cannot afford any slip-ups.

Against the Dutch, Nasser Hussain’s men won comfortably enough. But, worryingly, the Netherlands belied their modest status by batting out the full 50 overs while England lost four wickets overhauling a small total of 142. And Hussain knows that his team have to be utterly ruthless against the Africans.

“We are running out of chances. There’s no coming back from a loss. We have to win convincingly,” he said.
AFP

New Delhi, February 18
All-India Council of Sports (AICS) President Vijay Kumar Malhotra has advised the Union Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs to set guidelines for the Indian cricket team in line with the guidelines set for other national teams, which include attendance in the national camps and a strict code of conduct.

He said the code of conduct should include a ban on modelling, endorsements and commercial activities. He has advised these steps for the cricketers following India’s dismal performance against Holland and Australia in the World Cup in South Africa. Mr Malhotra said “it must be ensured that the players go through strict physical fitness tests and performance appraisal during the coaching camp and prior to the departure of the team for international competitions.

Hisar, February 18
Nine Haryana boxers today entered the finals in various categories in the 49th All-India Inter-University Boxing Championship being held at CRM Jat College here. Five boxers are from Kurukshetra University while four are representing MD University, Rohtak.

According to Mr Baljeet Singh, organising secretary of the championship, in the light flyweight category Satyawan Singh of KU defeated Anurag of the Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. In the lightweight category, Jaspinder Singh of KU reached the final, defeating Anil Kumar of Amrawati University. In the middleweight category V. Dhull defeated M.Khalimuddinn of Kaktiya University while in the light heavyweight category, Ravinder Singh defeated V.Bandav of Amrawati University. V.Kumar entered the final of the super heavyweight category defeating Punit Kumar of MD University, Rohtak.

Mumbai, February 18
JCT Phagwara scored once in each half to rally to an effortless 2-1 win over Mahindra United, Mumbai, in the National Football League match at the Cooperage ground, here today.

JCT began in aggressive fashion but it was Mahindra who broke the deadlock when striker Samson Mongba found the mark off a brilliant 30-yard volley that beat a hapless JCT goalkeeper Mansur Mohd. Stung by the early reverse, JCT pulled one back during an eventful five minutes that preceded half-time. The tireless Hardeep Saini latched on and beat a crowded defence following a throw-in in the 42nd minute.

Two minutes into the second half, JCT swelled the lead in dramatic fashion when K. Yeboah, who was positioned at the goalmouth, shot home off another throw-in.

Following today’s win, JCT have swelled their points tally to 22 from 14 matches (6 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses). In contrast, Mahindra United crashed to their sixth defeat and have 14 points from as many matches, with three wins and five draws to their credit. JCT showed early signs of dominating the match after holding possession for the first quarter. But surprisingly, it was Mahindra United who received the opportunities to score.

After Lawson shot wide off a goalmouth melee five minutes from the start, Samson Mongba put Mahindra ahead with a stunning 30-yard volley in the 26th minute.

JCT quickly retaliated, but the Mumbai outfit continued to test the rival defence at regular intervals. Following midfield play for much of the first half, the match meandered into an action-packed five minutes since the 40th. During this period, Lawson saw his volley being saved by the custodian. While the action shifted to the Mahindra citadel, JCT defender Musa Aliu unleashed a powerful 25-yard volley that threatened to dip into the net. But Mahindra keeper S Rajan showed great anticipation to punch the ball out for a corner.

Inspired by Aliu’s effort and Saini’s 42nd minute equaliser, JCT entered the second half with confidence to see Yeboah find the match-winner. Soon after, JCT’s diminutive striker Hardeep Gill got two fine opportunities to increase the lead. Goalkeeper Rajan blocked his first effort in the 50th, while his 75th minute volley went over the crossber.

Chandigarh, February 18
As part of the ongoing Cultural Patiala Heritage Week, a Heritage Golf
Tournament was held at the Black Elephant Golf Course, Patiala,
yesterday. One hundred and twelve golfers from Patiala, Chandigarh,
Delhi and Ambala took part in the tournament which was sponsored by
Seagrams and Chivas Regal.

In the men’s section Arjun Minocha of the Chandigarh Golf Club was declared the winner. He had a total of 41 points. In the ladies section Dimple Minocha, also of the Chandigarh Golf club who notched 37 points, was declared the winner.

Vivan Singh Gill of the Chandigarh Golf Club won the longest drive contest. His drive measured 267 yards in the face of a roaring headwind.

Later in the evening the prize distribution ceremony was held at the Old Moti Bagh Palace (now the NIS). The prizes were given away by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh. Speaking on the occasion Capt Amarinder Singh explained that the Patiala cultural festival had been organised to bring forth the immense cultural, architectural, musical and sporting heritage of the region. he further added that the festival would bring Punjab on the international tourist map and also provide the much needed boost to the tourism industry of the state, as well as highlight the rich cultural past of Punjab.

The prize distribution was followed by dinner in which traditional Patiala cuisine was served.

Surjit Academy lads winOur Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, February 18
Holders Surjit Academy, Jalandhar, beat PAP, Jalandhar, 2-0 to register their second victory in the second All-India Jagtar Singh Memorial Junior Hockey Tournament being held at the astro turf ground of the Punjab Agricultural University here today.

Surjit Academy went ahead in the first minute through Major Singh and Rajinder Singh consolidated the lead in the 18th minute. PAP earned three penalty corners while Surjit Academy got two penalty corners but both the teams failed to capitalise on these chances.

In the second match, Sports Authority of India, Kurukeshtra outclassed Ropar Hawks 3-1 after leading by one goal at half time.

Satwinder of Kurukeshtra put his side in the lead through a penalty corner in the 14th minute. Pawan of Ropar Hawks restored parity in the 37th minute. Yudhvir found the target to enable SAI team to again enjoy the lead. Satwinder converted a penalty corner to make it 3-1.

In the third match, Prithipal Singh Academy, Ludhiana, routed Sports School, Jalandhar, 5-0 to record their first victory.

The winners led by one goal at the breather. The scorers were Sarabjit Singh (18th minute), Pawanpreet (40th minute), Gurtej Singh (50th minute) and Bhudraj (52nd and 54th minute).

Patiala
The much hyped rural sports, which form part of the ongoing Patiala Heritage Festival, commenced on a dull note at the polo grounds here today.

These were very few spectators and the only people who evinced some interest in the proceedings were the organisers and the cops. The inaugural ceremony, which was scheduled for 11 a.m., took place four hours late.

Inauguration was done by Mr Gurchet Singh
Bhullar, Irrigation Minister, Punjab. The windy weather did not help the organisers — in this case officials of the Punjab Sports Department — and the show had to be held without many important events, including paragliding show.

The main events started after a dare-devil show by personnel of the Punjab Police. In Kabaddi women’s section), Jalandhar team won the title by beating Amritsar team 48-43. In the men’s section, Germany prevailed upon India (red) by a narrow margin of 43-41. In wrestling, Gurdeep Singh (Amritsar), Hardip Singh (Phagwara), Rajwinder Singh Gill (Canada) and Sikander Singh (PAP) registered wins in their respective weight categories. In the women’s section, Asian Wrestling championship gold medalist Monika Kaliraman of Delhi beat Gurmeet Kaur (Faridkot) to annex the title in the 60 kg weight category.

HIGH SECURITY FOR INDIANS
HARARE: Zimbabwe is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the visiting Indian cricket team does not face any safety or security hassle during its stay in the country. The Indians are here for Wednesday’s Group ‘A’ World Cup match against Zimbabwe. The organisers are fervently praying nothing untoward happens now or in the next few weeks when other teams are scheduled to play their matches. On their arrival here on Sunday, the Indians were received at the airport by Education and Sports Minister Aeneas Changadwere who assured the team of their safety. Urging the team to “enjoy the splendours of the country”, he also dropped in a word of caution - don’t go alone late in night and put yourself in a situation which could act as a
propaganda coup for the opponents of the regime. PTI

TAYLOR’S ADVICE
JOHANNESBURG: Former Australian Test captain Mark Taylor, who went through a long lean patch like the one Saurav Ganguly is currently experiencing, has a word of advice for the embattled Indian skipper — “just hang in there”. Taylor, who came in the line of fire after going through 21 Test innings without a 50, was at hand to watch Australia take on India and said he knew how mentally agonising it was for a captain to hit poor form. “It’s not a nice feeling. You are worried more than anyone else that you are not scoring runs, the media is jumping on your back, the former cricketers are calling for your head and there’s always someone who is being projected as the next captain,” the 38-year-old told a website. “All this after you have worried yourself silly about captaining the team. It can be a very frustrating time if you are the captain and not scoring runs. Ask Ganguly and he will tell you,” said Taylor.
PTI

REST FOR AUSSIES
POTCHEFSTROOM: Australia coach John Buchanan has said the world champions will use Thursday’s World Cup Group A match against the Netherlands to rest key players. With Roland Lefebvre’s team of part-timers unlikely to extend his in-form side, Buchanan said a few players who took part in the comfortable opening wins over Pakistan and India would be given a break. “It is a long tournament and, although most players feel they could play right through, this is now an opportunity not to play a couple of them and give those who have not had much cricket an opportunity,’’ Buchanan told reporters on Monday.
Reuters